Sleigh.



No. 770,010. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904..

N. JOHNSON & F. PEARSON.

SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

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SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses Inventors Attorneys Patented September 13, 1904.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

NILS JOHNSON AND FREDERICK PEARSON, OF STAR PRAIRIE, WISCONSIN.

SLEIGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,010, dated September 13, 1904.

Application filed March 25, 1904:.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, NILs JOHNSON and FREnERIoK PEARSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Star Prairie, in the county of St. Croix and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Sleigh, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sleighs, and is designed to provide certain new and useful improvements in the manner of mounting sleighbodies upon their runners, whereby each runner may tilt longitudinally independently of the other runner, so as to automatically accommodate themselves to rough roads and to maintain the body as nearly as possible in a horizontal position when either of the runners is tilted.

It is furthermore designed to effectually brace and maintain a strong and durable connection between the body of the sleigh and the runners which will at the same time permit of the necessary play of the different parts in accomplishing the tiltable feature of the runners.

With these and other objects in View the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sleigh embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the draw-bar broken away. Fig. 4 is a dctail perspective view of one of the knuckleplates. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the V-shaped braces. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken through the loose connection between one of the bolsters and the adjacent knee.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

As embodied in the drawings, 1 designates Serial No. 199,960- (No model.)

an ordinary wooden runner which is sheathed upon its under side with the usual metallic runner 2, curved or bowed upwardly in any ordinary or preferred manner. Rising from each runner is a plurality of knees or raves 3, which are of inverted-V shape and are bent from a single length of strap metal bolted or otherwise secured to the runner. The upper end of each knee or rave terminates in an open-ended eye or tubular bearing 4., the interiorof which is convexed longitudinally, as clearly indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The corresponding knees or raves of the opposite runners are connected by bunks or runner-bolsters 5, each of which is provided at opposite ends and upon its under side with knuckle-plates 6. Each of 'these plates is provided with spaced pairs of pendent knuckles 7 and 8, of which the members of the outer pair are separated by a longer interval than that between the inner pair and embrace the eye or bearing 4 of the adjacent knee for the reception of a rod 9 in the form of a bolt, which passes through the openings in all of the knuckles and also through the bearing or eye 4. An inverted substantially V-shaped brace 10 has its opposite ends secured to intermediate points of the side members of each knee, with the upper end of the brace terminating in an upstanding eye 11, which is received between the members of the inner pair of knuckles 7 and also receives the rod 9, there being a nut 12 fitted to the inner end of thev rod or bolt to prevent endwise displacement.

thereof. To the intermediate portion of the under side of the bottom 13 of any common or preferred form of sleigh-body is secured a body-bolster 14 by means of bolt 15, which also passes through the middle runner-bolster or bunk, so as to rigidly connect the body thereto.

While the body is rigidly connected to the middle runner-bolster, it is designed to loosely connect the same to the front and rear bolsters in the following manner: A longitudinally-disposed knuckle-plate 16 is secured to the under side of the body, at the longitudinal center thereof, with one pair of knuckles 17 embracing a tubular bearing 18, secured to the top of the adjacent bunk or runner-bol through the knuckles and the bearing. An

inverted substantially V-shap ed brace 20 has its lower ends secured to the under side of the bolster, with its upper end terminating in an upstanding eye 21, which is fitted between the other pair of knuckles 22, the bolt or rod 19 also passing through said knuckles and the eye. It will be here noted that this loose connection between the bolster and the body of the sleigh is a substantial duplicate of that between each knee or rave and its adjacent bolster.

A suitable draw-bar 23 extends across the front ends of the runners, with its opposite ends received within open-ended boxes or sockets 24, carried by the rear sides of the upstanding portions of the runners. To brace the upstanding portions of the runners against the draft applied thereto through the drawbar, there is provided a brace-rod 25, one at each side of the sleigh, the rear end of the brace-rod having an eye loosely embracing the outer end portion of the adjacent bolt 9, while its front end is screw-threaded and pierces the box 24, the draw-bar 23, and the upstanding portion of the runner, there being suitable nuts 26 fitted to the screw-thread ed parts of the brace-rod and engaging, respectively, the back of the box and the front of the runner. The brace-rod loosely pierces the draw-bar, so as to permit of the necessary play of the latter.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when the front end of either runner strikes an obstruction it is capable of tilting upwardly upon its loose connection with the middle bunk -or bolster as a center, while the other runner rests for its entire length upon the roadway its in normal position, whereby only one of the runners is tilted out of its normal position, and only one corner of the body (that adjacent the front end of the tilted runner) is affected or elevated. This tilting of only one of the runners renders the sleigh very comfortable, as it materially lessens jars and also reduces increased draft, for the reason that a smaller portion of the load is elevated than if the entire front end of the sleigh was elevated. In order that this individual tilting of one ofvthe runners may not strain the connection between the runners and the body of the sleigh, it will of course be understood that the brace-rod 25 has a loose connection with the front runner-bolster or front bunk, so as to accommodate for such looseness as may be necessary at this point. The adjacent end of the front bunk or runner-bolster tilts vertically upon its intermediate loose connection with the under side of the body, or, to be more correct, the bolster tilts upon its loose connection with the knee at the opposite side of the sleigh and the loose connection between the middle of the bolster and the body permitting of such tilting. It

will now be understood that the interior of each eye or bearing 4 of the knees or raves is convexed longitudinally to permit of the required tilting movements of the bolsters without permitting normal undue looseness thereof. To compensate for the upward tilting of the front bolster, it will be understood that the rear bolster tilts in the opposite direction, whereby the body of the sleigh is maintained approximately level and strains are relieved from the rigidly-connected portions of the running-gear.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In asleigh, the combination with runners having front, rear and intermediate knees, of bolsters loosely connected to corresponding knees, and a body carried by. the intermediate bolster and having intermediate loose connections with the front and rear bolsters, whereby each runner is capable of tilting independently of the other runner.

2. In a sleigh,the combination with runners, knees and bolsters connecting corresponding knees, the runners capable of tilting vertically, of boxes carried by the front ends of the runners, a draw-bar carried in the boxes, and brace-rods having their rear ends pivoted to the adjacent bolsters with their front ends piercing the boxes, the draw-bar and the respective runners.

3. In a sleigh, the combination with runners, of knees having bearings, bolsters having loose connections with the bearings of corresponding knees, a body carried by the intermediate bolster, and loose connections between the body and the front and rear bolsters, each of these connections comprising longitudinallyalined pairs of knuckles pendent from the body, a bearing upon the bolster and received between the members of one pair of knuckles, a brace carried by the bolster and provided with an eye received between the members of the other pair of knuckles, and a rod passed through the knuckles, the bearing and the eye of the brace.

4. In a sleigh,the combination with runners, of knees having bearings, bolsters connecting corresponding knees, pairs of knuckles pendent from the ends of the bolsters, the outer pairs of knuckles embracing the bearings of the knees, braces inclined inwardly and upwardly from the knees and terminating in eyes embraced by the'inner pairs of knuckles, rods passed loosely through the knuckles the bearings and the eyes, a body carried by the intermediate bolster, and loose connections between the longitudinal center of the body and intermediate portions of the front and rear bolsters.

5. In a sleigh,the combination with runners, of knees rising therefrom and terminating in transverse tubular bearings, front, rear and intermediate bolsters connecting corresponding knees, inner and outer pairs of pendent knuckles carried by each end of each bolster with the outer pair embracing the bearing on the adjacent knee, braces inclined upwardly and inwardly and terminating in eyes received between the members of the adjacent pairs of inner knuckles, rods passed loosely through the knuckles the bearings and the eyes of the braces, a body carried by the intermediate bolster, and loose connections between the body and the front and rear bolsters, each connection comprising front and rear pairs of knuckles pendent from the body, a bearing carried by the bolster and received between NILS JOHNSON. FREDERICK PEARSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. WALTERS, AUSTIN DENNING. 

